Improvement in metallic cartridges



H. C. SPAULDING METALLIGGARTRIDGB.

Nix-46,034. Patented Jan. 24, 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT (DEEIcE.l

HENRY C. SPALDING, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN METALLIC CARTRIDGES.

Speciiicaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,034. dated January24,1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY G. SPALDING,

: of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Metallic Cartridges;k

and that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description of myinvention, reference being had tothe. accompanying drawing, in which-Figure l represents a View of a metallic cartridge constructed accordingto my invention. Fig. 2 represents a view of the ball separate from theshell or cartridge-case, and Fig. 3 represents a section ofthecartridgecase before its application to the ball.

Metallic cartridges are usually constructed with copper shells orcartridge-cases,which, when the cartridges are completed, are in contactwith the lead balls. It is also customary to grease the balls in orderto prevent the leading of the gun, and the grease be-, comes smearedover the copper shell as wellv as the ball. As lead and copper havedii'erent affinities for oxygen, a galvanic action takes place in thecartridge by reason of the contact of the two metals, and the result ofthis action is the deterioration of the powder with which the cartridgeis charged; hence metallic cartridges, which in many respects aresuperior to all others, deteriorate by age, and cannot always be reliedupon.

The object oi' lmy invention is to obviate this defect of metalliccartridges 5 and it consists in coating the metal before the ball isapplied to the shell with a non-conducting coating, which prevents thecontact of the metal of the ball with that of the shell, and therebyprevents the galvanic action.

The material which I prefer for this purpose is collodion, or gun-cottondissolved in ether, in the form in which itis now found in chemistsshops and the best mode with which I am acquainted of applying it is asfollows The car tridge-shells are first charged with the fulminate inthe usual manner, as represented by the red color in Fig. 3, and arepermitted to dry. Then a small quantity of the liquid collodion isintroduced into each shell, and the shell is turned upside down to pourout as much as will run from it. These operations leave the wholeinterior of the shell covered with the glutinous liquid, which, drying,forms a perfect coating. The butts 'of the balls are dipped in theliquid as far as the line a a, Fig. 2, and are permitted to dry, theballs during the drying being set in shallow sockets with their 'buttsuppermost, by which meansthe portion of each ball which is to be appliedto the shell becomes thoroughly coated. When the shell and ball are dry,the former is charged with powder, and the ball is applied inthe usualmanner.

The cartridge produced ih this manner has its interior coated with anon-conducting coating which prevents the contact of the metal of theball with that of the shell, so that galvanic action is prevented. It isnot essential for this purpose that both ball and shell should becoated, but this mode of embodying the invention is the best, becausethe powder is thereby prevented from coming in'contact with any nakedmetal surface, and is in fact shut np in a casing of an inert material,(the coating,) which is retained in form and continuity by the metal.rIhe form 'of the cartridge mayof course be varied to suit the fire-armwith which it is to be used, and other nou-conducting coatings thancollodion may be used if deemed best.

I do not claim the invention of a metallic cartridge, nor of collodion,nor, broadly, the application of a coating of collodion or other varnishto cartridges, as I am aware that the exteriors of paper and gun-.cottoncartridges have been coated with collodion; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent,is-

A metallic cartridge coated on its interior with a nonconductingcoating, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this this28th day ofOctober, A. D. 1864.

HENRY C. SPALDING.

Witnesses:

JAs. S. FERGUSON, W. L. BENNEM.

